Radiant heater unit



lv. G. VAUGHAN RADIANT HEATER UNIT Sept. 29, 1925.

Filed May 19l 1923 Fgg. 1.

TTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1925'.

UNITED STATES 'VICTOR Gr. VAUGHAN, OF XVILKINSBURG, HOUSE ELECTRIC @t LVIANUFCTURNG VANIA Application filed May 19,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VICTOR Gr. VAUGHAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Radiant Heater Units, of which the following is a specification.

My invention Irelates to electrical heating devices and particularly to electric air heaters.

Une object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and compact electric air heater of relatively large capacity.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric air heater comprising a plurality of individual heating units.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric air heater comprising a pluraiity of skeleton frames of refractory electric-insulating material having an undulating groove therein for the reception of an electric heating element.

Another object of my invention is to provide a radiant heating unit comprising a resist-cr member and a skeleton frame that shall embody novel means for anchoring the ends of the resistor member in proper operative position therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide a radiant heating unit that shall be so constructed as to permit of its being mounted in a gas heater casing.

in practicing my invention, I provide a casing having a front opening therein and locate in said casing a plurality of skeleton frames, of refractory electric-insulating material, having undulating grooves therein, in which a helically wound resistor member is located. The casing is provided with meansfor supporting the heating units adjacent toeach other in back of the front opening. Each skeleton frame is provided with a base portion having a plurality of communicating openings extending therethrough, angular-ly disposed relatively to each other, for permitting the ends of the resistor wire to be looped therethrough to securely hold the same.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of an electric air heater comprising the device embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a View in vertical section there- PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- thrp'ugh, taken on the line II-II of Fig. l, Fig. is a view, in front elevation, of a skeleton frame of refractory material embodying my invention,

Fig. 4l is a view in vertical section there.- through, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3,

Figs. 5 and G are views in cross-section therethrough, taken on the lines V-V and \7i-`l7l respectively of Fig. 3, and

' Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the member illustrated in F ig. 3 of the drawing.

An air heater 11 comprises a casing 12 that may be formed of any suitably pressed sheet metal or cast metal members and that may be of any suitable or desired contour, but here illustrated as being substantially rectangular in outline.

The casing 12 is located on a base 13 that is provided with integral supporting meme bers 14. The casing 12 is provided with a top member l5 that may be removable therefrom to permit of assembling the other parts of the heater therein and is of such form and contour as to present a pleasing and ornamental appearance when assembled on the casing 12. The casing 12 is provided with a depressed front portion 16 that has an opening 17 therein that is substantially rectangular in contour.

A protecting grid or grating 18 of skeleton form, is located in front of said opening 17 and comprises a plurality of wires or rods extending at substantially right angles to each other. The upper ends of the vertically extending wires are located in spaced openings 19 in the upper part of the depressed portion 1G and the lower ends of the same wires are located in spaced openings 21 located in the bottom part of the depressed portion 16, a horizontally extending rod or wire 22 being provided to limit the downward movement of the grating in the openings 19 and 21 when the same is placed therein.

A plate 23, of a suitable refractory material is located in the casing back of the opening 17 and may be supported by a substantially horizontally extending refractory bar or plate 24 that issuitably supported in the casing 12 by means not shown.

A plurality of heating elements are located in the casing in front of the plate 23 and back of the opening 17 and they severally comprise an elongated skeleton frame 25 of electric-insulating material and a helically wound resistor member 26 supported thereby. The skeleton frame comprises a member of substantially channel section that is provided in the depressed or front face thereof with a plurality of pairs of bridges 27 of arcuate form, that extend from the side flanges of the member 25 to spaced lugs' 28 located in alined position intermediate said flanges, substantially as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing'. A bar 29 of refractory electric-insulating" material, may be provided to hold the upper ends of the frames against the plate 20.

A plurality of openings 30 are provided through the central portion of the member 25 topermit of easily manutacturinp,` the same. The member 25 is provided with an upper flat extension 31 and a lower integral base extension 82. 'lhe contigui-ation of the central web of the part of the channel section of the member 25 is such as to vary the thickness in recurrent proportion, substantially as illustrated in Fie. -t of the drawing, that is, the thickness of the web adjacent the side flanges thereof, is less at those points where the bridges join the flanges than at points opposite the integral lugs 28, whereby an undulatinegroove is formed in the skeleton frame adjacent to and inside each of the side flanges thereof.

The helical resistor member 2() is inserted in its proper operative position in the member 25 by being` threaded under the bridges 2i' from the upper end thereof and the straightened ends thereof VXtend through openings 33 and Z34- that are located in the `lower end of the member 25 and in the base portion 32, substantiallyT illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing.

rlhe openings 33 and 234; extend angularly relatively to each other substantially longitudinally of the member 25 and an openingv extends through the base portion 32 laterally thereof, relatively close to the other lower end of the part and communicates with the holes 33 and lVhen the straightened ends 36 of the resistor member 26 have been pushed through the respective holes and 3st, they are looped around an integral portion of the base 32, substantially as illustrated in Fig'. 4l of the drawing;l in order that the ends may be securely anchored in the base portion and any movement thereof relatively to the skeleton frame during the operation of the device may be effectively prevented.

Means for selectively energizingr the plurality of heating elements may comprise a pair of bus bars 3?, the ends of which are suitably secured against blocks 38 and 39, of refractory electric-insulatmgmaterial, that are located immediatelyl below the plate 24, when in their proper operative position within the casing` 12. An opening l1 4application may be easily and may be provided in a side portion of the casing 12 to permit of inserting the blocks lo and ill and the bus hars $37 into the casing and of removing them therefrom, a plato fil-2 of any suitable refractory material beif provided for closing' the openings 41. Screws Ll-S may be employed to secure the crever plate l2 against the casing l2.

A suitable controlling switch eel is mounted on the plate ft2 and may be soconuected to the bus bars l' and to a plurality of terminal pins also mounted on the plate as o permit of controlling' the energization of the resistor members 2G, when the terminal pins Llare connected to a suitable source of supply. l'vl'achine screws 4l@ may be emjliloyed to hold or secure the ends 3G of the resistor members to the bus bars 37.

rihe device Jnibodyine my invention, more partcularij,7 the indulatingi groove in the skeleton f ames, is effective to hold integral portions of the helically wound resistor members 2o in their proper operative positions in the skeleton frame? each part being; supported by the part of the skeleton frame with which it is in operative engagement. This prevents the stretching` of the upper parts of the two resister members 2t; in cach of the skeleton frames, as would be the case if substantially straight grooves were provided and the weight of each half of the resistor member supported entirely by the upper portions thereof. The perforated base portion, as hereinbefore described, permits of easily and quickly forming` a loop of each end of the resistor wire wherelrv the saule is anchored and prevented from any movement relatively to the base of the skeleton frame.

Heating' units as disclosed in the present quickly mounted in a heater, the buse portions 32 fitting into openings already provided in the gras heater. The support 2st may then be of metal employed to conduct the gas and of lesser thickness than shown in the drawing'. It is advisable to employ refractory beads l? strungon the wire ends 36 to prevent accidental contact between the wires and the metal support. The top portion 31 of the respective skeleton frames may be modified in length and shape to cooperate with such means as may have been provided in the gras heater to hold the upper ends of the gras radiants. As this feature forms no part of my invention, it is not further illustrated or described in detail.

This application is closely related to my co-pendinp` application, Serial No. 640056; filed May 19, 1923 and assigned to the Testinghouse Electric et )"lanufacturing` (loinpany (case 10,401).

Various modifications and changes may be madev herein without departingcg` fromthe lll() spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. fin electric heater comprising an elongated skeleton frame of refractory electric-insulating material having a groove therein undulating forwardly and backwardly thereof, and a helical resistor member located in said groove.

An electric heater comprising an elongated skeleton frame of refractory electricinsulating material having a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, forwardly, and backwardly extending, undulating grooves extending longitudinally of said frame and a helical resistor member', located in said grooves.

5. An electric heater comprising an elongated skeleton frame of refractory electricinsulating material having a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, undulating grooves therein extending` longitudinally of said frame, and a plurality of spaced,.later ally-extending bridges over said grooves, and a helical resistor member located in said grooves and held therein by said bridges.

a. An electric heater comprising an elongated skeleton frame of refractory electricinsulating material having a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, undulating grooves therein extending longitudinally of said frame, and a plurality of spaced,. laterally-extending bridges located above the depressed portions of said grooves, and a helical resistor member located in said grooves and held therein by said bridges.

5. ln an electric heater, in combination, a resistor support, comprising a skeleton frame, and a base portion having a plurality of angularly disposed holes therein for rerei ving the looped ends of a resistor member located in said skeleton frame.

6. ln an electric heater, in combination, a resistor support comprising a skeleton frame, and a base portion having a plurality of spaced holes therein extending substantially longitudinally thereof and a hole exending laterally thereof and communicating with said other holes, a resistor member located in said skeleton frame, the ends thereof extending through said holes and therebeyond.

7. In an electric heater, in combination, a resistor support comprising a skeleton frame, and a base portion having a plurality of spaced holes therein extending substantially longitudinally thereof and a hole extending laterally thereof and communicating with said other holes, a resistor member located in said skeleton frame, the ends thereof ent-ending through said holes and being looped around a portion of said base.

8. An electric heater comprising a casing, a reliector in said casing, an elongated skeleton frame, of refractory material, in said casing and having a forwardly and backvv'ardly extending undulating groove therein, and a helical resistor member in said groove.

9. An electric heater comprising a casing, a reflector in said casing, a plurality of elongated skeleton frames, of refractory material, located in parallel-spaced relation in said casing, each frame having a forwardly and backwardly extending undulating groove therein, and a helical resistor member in said groove.

l0. An electric heater comprising a casing, a reflector in said casing, a plurality of vertically-extending, elongated, skeleton frames, of refractory material, located in parallel-spaced relation in said casing, each frame having a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel and longitudinally-extending, undulating grooves therein and a helically-wound resistor member located in said grooves.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of May, 1923.

VICTOR Gr. VAUGHAN. 

